Windows Phone 8.1 ready for new Lumias

Windows Phone 8 really gave Microsoft a platform to compete against Android and iOS, and as the system has matured it has improved. Now something we consider to be a mature operating system, Windows Phone 8 is a compelling alternative to its rivals, and the preview of Windows Phone 8.1 proves that.

The next milestone in the Windows Phone story will enhance the platform further as it will eventually bring with it Cortana, Microsoft's automated personal assistant. That milestone is now almost upon us as Microsoft confirmed today that it has finished the code for the Windows Phone 8.1 update geared for brand new Nokia Lumia devices. The news was confirmed by corporate vice president and manager for Windows Phone Program Management, Joe Belfiore, in a tweet today.

"WP8.1 sw is finished for the Lumia phones that started shipping a couple weeks ago... and we're testing the update code now. Fixes ongoing," Belfiore said.

The news means the gold master of Windows Phone 8.1 has been finished and Microsoft will start rolling out updates at the end of June. Initially the update will be available to those running the latest Lumia devices (Nokia was purchased by Microsoft in April) before a wider release will go on throughout the year, including heading to plenty of legacy devices. Nokia's older Lumia's will be first in line for the update after the initial launch, while other Windows powered handsets will be next.

Joining Cortana as new features on Windows Phone 8.1 will be a notification centric Action Center and a customizable lock screen. As for that new lock screen feature, Belfiore said that only a beta of the software would be released first and would only work for devices packing 1GB of RAM or more. Those with handsets with 512mb of RAM will not be left out for long though, with compatibility coming in the future, although Microsoft admits this could take ?a while?.

Also coming along for the ride will be an updated and new version of Facebook for Windows Phone, as well as a new update for Microsoft?s Skype contact software.
source: Windows Phone Central